Charging and discharging of automatic ovens, proofing-chambers, and the like.



L C. HEESE.

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To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, Louis CHARLES Rimes, residing at Saginaw, in the county pf Saginaw and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in the Charg- `ing and Discharging of Automatic Ovens,

Proofing-Chambers, and the like, ot which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic baking ovens, proofing chambers and llke apparatus -through which the articles to be subjected to the process worked therein, are passed in a certain predetermined tune and 1n a circuitou's-partly horizontal, partly more or less vertical-route by endless chains, and consists in novel means of charging and discharging these apparatus.

The object of this invention 1s to perform these operations automatically and without stopping the apparatus, 1n a most simple, eii'ective and economic manner.

To this end, I Aplace the articles to be treated or the containers holding themhon trays which may also be formed by ]o1n1ng rows of these containers by suitable means as iron bands, and suspend these trays from the chains carrying them through the apparatus, by easily connected and disconnected devices, consisting of crossrods rotatably mounted at both ends in the links of the chains or in blocks or the like attached thereto, and carrying rotatably mounted hangers providedwith brackets, and of studs ixed to the trays and adapted easily and automatically to engage with and disengage from the said brackets.

The loaded trays are conveyed into the apparatus by automatic means, usually an ordinary endless-band-conveyer, to a point so determined and arranged that the brackets of the hangers suspended from the crossrods of the chains, while passing upward close proximity to the tray on the conveyer, are bound to engage with the studs fixed to the tray, and thus the tray will be picked up from the conveyer, lifted upward and then carried through the apparatus.

The trays are discharged from the latter by depositing them on their downward passage on automatic means for carrying them away, usually an endless-band-conveyer, passing underneath at a point so determined and arranged that the studs fixed to the tray are bound to disconnect themselves from the brackets of the hangers suspended from the Specification o Letters Patent.

Patented Mar., 2t', limit'.

Application tiled February a8, 1916. Serial No. 81,009.

crossrods of the chains while traveling downward, whereupon the latter with their appurtenances and the disconnected trays are quickly removed in dierent directions, the conveyer taking away the trays, .being so constructed and traveling with such velocity that they cannot interfere with the cha-ins,

their erossrods, hangers or the brackets attached thereto. 'As the charging and discharging points of the apparatus preferably sprocketwheels are installed for the chains to run over in order to give to the latter, to the suspending devices and to the trays, just picked up or to be disconnected, ample stability and the proper direction.

The feeding devices used hitherto for this kind of apparatus made it necessary that the chains were stopped while the trays were charged and discharged, and the unavoidz able consequences were jerks andV shocks liable greatly to damage the :morev or less soft goods in appearance, shape and size. This was especially the case in automatic baking ovens of this class.

T he accompanying drawings, which serve for more fully explaining the novel features and devices and the working of the invention, show its application to a proofing and baking apparatus used for hearth bread, buns, crackers or the like.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tray,

showing the construction of the brackets, of

the hangers and of the crossrods carrying the latter, and the working together of the brackets and the studs fixed to the tray.

Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal 'section of a tray showing the same bracket and stud arrangement as Fig. l, the connection to the chains and the wheel-supports of the cross rods.

Fig. 3 represents an arrangement for transferring trays provided with the same suspending devices as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, from a proofing chamber to an oven,

and Fig. Il an arrangement for discharging the trays from the latter.

Fig. 5 shows a vertical cross section of a tray resting on a conveyer, and the position of the brackets and the hangers carrying them, in regard to the tray and the conveyer.

' ln Fig. l, Fig. 2 and Fig. 5, A represents a tray consisting of the bottomplate a and the side pieces a, arranged at the longer sides and a., at the narrower sides of the lll@ tray, f orming the framework ofthe tray. are strengthened and widened by the half circular projections a3 in order to carry the studs B and B1 which engage with thecurved, hollow-handl like projections or brackets c and c1 of the hangersA C and C1. The latter consisty of the branch parts c1 and c3, the crossbar c4 and the annular block c5, the circular opening of which is loosely fitted over the crossrod D connecting the chains H and H1. The blocks c5 are kept in position on the crossrod D by means of the set-collars c, and c, and turn so easily around D that the tray A suspended by its studs B and B1'engaging with the brackets c andc1 of the hangers C and C1, from the crossrod D, is always kept in an horizontal position, when the latter is turned during its circuitous course The slde pieces a2 through the apparatus.

The crossrod D rests near to, but outside the han ers C and C1, on the loose wheels E and 1, which revolve freely around D and run in the grooves f for E and f1 for E1 of the rails F and F1. The latter are supported by the brackets G and G1 fixed .to the walls or structure of the appara-tus.

The rails crossrod D and with it the chains IH and H1 and the tray A, while these chains travel more or less horizontally. Whenl the direction of the chains is altered more or less to the vertical, or 'from the latter to the horizontal again, the crossrods, wheels and trays are carried by the chains H and H1 running over and supported by the teeth of sprocketwheels in the well known manner of apparatus of this kind.

In Fig. 3, O represents diagrammatically the sprocketwheel around whlch the chains H travel inside an oven before its charging opening,I and P the sprocketwheel for the chains before the discharging opening in a proofing chamber situated alongside the oven. The sprocketwheel O revolves around the axle o, and the sprocketwheel P around the axle p, both moving in the same direction as shown by the arrows. I is an horizontal endless-hand-conveyer driven by the rollers K and K1 rotated around the axles lo and k1 in the direction of the arrows by suitable driving means, the carrying surface of the conveyer traveling from the proofing chamber toward the oven. The roller K is arranged within the proofing chamber well underneath the sprocketwheel P, and the roller K1 within the oven underneath thesprocketwheel O. Adjacent to the roller K1, and still farther in the charging opening of the oven, a rest is preferably arranged for the trays arriving there; it consists of the parallel, loose rollers L, L turning) easily around their axles l, l supported y the bracket like staging M. The carrlylng plane of the rollers, L, L is slightly inc ed from F and F1 carry in this way thethe conveyer I in a downward direction so that the trays arriving there from the latter easily slip down against the crossplate N and thus attain the correct position for the studs of the trays A to slip into the brackets of the hangers traveling upward. The conveyers I (Fig. 3 and Fig. 5,) and L, as in fact every conveyer used in this arrangement for charging and discharging trays,

must not be wlder than the trays carried by the same, and so arranged in the apparatus they serve, that the brackets c and c1 of the hangers C and C1, not interfere with the conveyer or the trays thereon. In order to secure for the trays the right position on the conveyer, the latter may be made of the same' width as the trays are long, and provided at the sides of the traveling band with studs z for the trays to lit between.

In the proofing chamber the chains H carrying the trays containing the fully proofed doughvpieces ready for the oven, travel at first vertically downward and then around the sprocketwheel P where the trays are deposited on the conveyer I, whereupon the chains take the crossrods with their empty hangers to the charging place of the proofing chamber to be reloaded with fresh trays.

When in its downward passage in the proofing chamber, the tray A1 reached the position I of its hanger C1 and crossrod D1, the preceding tray A, with its hanger C2 and crossrod D2 has just attained the posi tion II and is being dropped on the conveyer I, and the crossrod D3 with the empty hanger C3 has reached the position III.

The tray A3 which, while in the proofing chamber, had been attached to the hangers C3 carried by the crossbar D3, has at the same time reached the position I in the oven, and resting on the roller platform L, against the support N is, just being picked up by the brackets of the-*hangers C2 of the crossrod D2 engagin the studs B3 of the tray. The tray A1 w ich entered the oven previously to the tray A3, has been lifted with its hangers C3 and crossrod D3 by the chain H traveling upward onto the position II in the oven, while the crossrod D1 with its empty hangers C1 is moving toward the platform L, ready to pick up and lift the tray A2 assoon as it has arrived from the proofing chamber in the position I on the platform L in the oven.

This cycle of operations is repeated continuously. For the exact working of the arrangement, it is--of course-essential that the conveyer I travels with the correct speed for the trays coming from the proofing chamber to be picked up by the crossrods in the oven, a result which can easily be attained by well known means. While Fig. 3 shows the discharging arrangement in which the conveyer carrying away the trays,

while passing by, can

travels at once in opposite direction to that of the chains H carrying away the crossrods with the empty hangers. Fig. 4 explains the discharging arrangement for the trays from-the oven, when the conveyer taking away ,the disconnected trays travels in the beginning in the same direction as that in which the chains carrying away'the crossrods with the empty hangers, move around the lower part of the discharging sprocketwheel. matically by O1 and revo ves around its axle 0,. The chains H move in the direction of the arrows, downward at the right hand side of the sprocketwheel where the trays containing the baked articles ready to leave the oven, arrive, and upward at the left hand side where the hangers are empty. The endless conveyer Q for carrying away the trays to be discharged from the oven, is arranged at such a distance underneath the sprocketwheel 0 that the studs of the trays can not interfere with the empty brackets of the hangers passing by. and stretches far enough to that side of the sprocketwheel 0, at which the trays traveling downward, arrive, for easily and securely receiving and carrying them away in the direction of the arrow, the brackets of the hangers disconnecting themselves from the 'studs of the trays by going downward and passing out underneath them. The conveyer Q is worked in the ordinary way by rollers, one of which,

lt rotated around its axle 1', is shown.

When the upmost tray A, carried by the hangers C1 of the crossrod D, is at the position I, the tray A2 is at the position ILjust settling down on the conveyer Q, while the hangers C2 suspended from their crossrod D2 going downward on the sprocketwheel O1, are disconnecting themselves from the studs B2 of the tray. At the same time the crossrod D with the empty hangers C3 arrived at the position III, and the crossrod D4 with the empty hangers C, at the position IV, going upward to be reloaded, and the tray A, disconnected from 1) is on the conveyer Q, taking the baked articles out of the oven, while the tray disconnected from *C4 has already left the oven.

This cycle of operations is continuously' repeated. A

1n order to prevent the brackets of the hangers having just been disconnected from the studs of the trays from interfering with these studs again while both brackets and studs travel in the same direction at the same time, it is necessary for the disconnected trays on the conveyer Q to travel sufficiently quicker than the rods from which the disconnected hangers are suspended.

In the drawing Fig. 4 the relation of the diameter of the roller R. to that of the sprocketwheel O, is such, that, when the former revolves with about four times the ve- The latter is re resented diagramv locity as the latter, the trays on the conveyer Q make in the same interval about double the way as the hangers on the crossbars travthe desired result, as the position of the dis.`

connected tray A, on the conveyer Q demonstrates.

1 claim:

1. In devices for charging and discharging apparatus of the kind described, the combination with the trays holding the articles to be treated, of studs attached to each end of these trays, of crossrods rotatably mounted at their ends in and connecting two chains traveling through the apparatus in the same direction and at the same speed, of hangers rotatably suspended from these crossrods, and of brackets fixed to these hangers and adapted to receive the studs of the trays, the said crossrods, hangers,.brack ets and studs being so adapted and arranged that the studs of the trays engage with the brackets of the hangers, when the latter and the crossrods carrylng them pass by in an upward direction, and that the studs of the trays disengage from the brackets of the hangers, when the latter and the crossrods carrying them, pass by in a downward direction.

2. 1n devices for charging and discharging apparatus of the kind described, the combination with the trays holding the articles to be treated, of studs attached to each end of the trays, of crossrods rotatably mounted at their ends in and connecting two chains traveling through the apparatus at the same speed and in the same direction, of hangers rotatably suspended from these crossrods, of bracketsfixed to the hangers and adapted to receive the studs of the trays, and of a conveyer carrying the trays, if they are to be charged into the apparatus, to a point therein where thebracketsY'of the hangers suspended from the crossrods mounted in the chains passing by the Aconveyer in an upward direction, engage with the studs fixed to the trays which are thus'connected to and carrlcd upward by the chains, and carrying the trays, if they are to be discharged, out of the apparatus, receiving them therein at trays through the apparatus, of loose wheels l and disengage from the studs of the trays,

ceiving these tr and of conveyers' arranged in the apparatus at points where the studs of the trays when on the said conveyers, are bound to engage with the brackets of the hangers passing by in an upward direction, and to disengage from the brackets of the hangers passing by in a downward direction.

4. In devices for charging and discharging apparatus of the kind described, the combination with the trays holding the articles to be treated, of studs attached to each end of the trays, of crossrods rotatably mounted at their ends in and connecting two chains traveling through the apparatus in the same direction and at the same speed, of hangers rotatably suspended from these crossrods, of brackets fixed to the hangers and adapted to engage with and disengage from the studs of the trays, of loose wheels rotatably mounted on the said crossrods between the hangers and the chains, of rails arranged in the apparatus where the chains are runnin in a more or less horizontal direction, an provided with grooves for the said loose wheels to travel in, of brackets lixed to the v frame-work of the apparatus and supporting the said rails, of a conveyer carrying the trays holding the articles to be treated, to a point in the apparatus where the brackets of the hangers suspended from the said crossrods passing by with their chains in an upward direction, engage with the studs of trays which are thus carried upward into the apparatus, and of a conveyer adapted and arranged to remove the trays holding the treated articles from the apparatus, re-

`ys therein at a point where the brackets of the hangers suspended from the said crossrods passing by with their chains in a downward direction, disengage from the studs of the said trays, which are thus deposited on and then taken out of the apparatus by the said conveyer.

5. In devices for charging and discharging apparatus of the kind described, the combination with the trays holding the arof two studs attached of which4 are attached to each hanger, pointing opposite to the ends of the crossrods from which their hanger is suspended, and with their concavity upward, and thus forming seats for the studs fixed tothe trays, the said hangers being arranged on each -crossrod in such a manner that the trays d ample' room between them and can'be easily lifted by means of4 their studs on and oi the brackets of the hangers, and that the latterwithout fouling vanythingcarry' the trays during their whole circuitous course through the apparatus in an horizontal position.

6. In devices for chargingaand discharging apparatus of the kind described, the combination with the trays holding lthe articles to be treated, of studs 4attached to each end of these trays, of crossrods rotatably -mounted-at their ends in and connecting two parallel chains traveling in the same direction and at the same speed and moving the trays through the apparatus, of hangers rotatably suspended from these crossrods, of brackets ixed to these hangers and so adapted and arranged that they engage with thestuds of the trays, thus supporting the latter, and of conveyers carrying the trays holding articles to be treated, into, and the trays holding the treated articles out of the apparatus, and consisting of two parts, one being an endless-bandconveyer, and the other being composed of loose rollers placed in alinement at a point of the apparatus where the chains with their crossrods and hangers pass by, when the trays are to be seated by theirstuds on the brackets of the han ers, in an upward direction, and when t e trays are to be removed from these seats, in a downward direction.

LOUIS CHARLES REESE. Witnesses:

CARL FLETsCHER, ARCHIBALD E. HULG'RAVE. 

